Commuters walk past a bus stop near Nine Elms Station as activists put up a poster showing President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein near the US Embassy in London, Thursday. (AP Photo)A US federal judge on Wednesday denied the Justice Department’s bid to unseal grand jury transcripts tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s early sex trafficking probe, marking a setback in efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to publicise more details about the case.The request, focused on investigations from 2005 and 2007, was rejected by US District Judge Robin Rosenberg, who ruled that the DOJ’s arguments didn’t meet any exceptions allowing grand jury secrecy to be lifted.The transcripts stem from the Miami US attorney’s office’s handling of the first federal probe into Epstein, which ended with a controversial 2007 agreement. Prosecutors then opted not to file federal charges in exchange for Epstein pleading guilty to state-level prostitution charges—resulting in just 13 months in prison.The Justice Department has since filed similar unsealing motions in Manhattan, where Epstein’s later indictments and those of Ghislaine Maxwell were pursued. The DOJ ended its review of the case earlier this month, sparking criticism from Trump’s political allies.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:donald trumpJeffrey Epstein